Richard Lukunku

Lukunku moved to South Africa with his family as a child. He cultivated an early interest in performance art and went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Live Performance from AFDA, The School for the Creative Economy, in Johannesburg. Lukunku speaks six languages—English, Afrikaans, Setswana, Zulu, French and Swahili—which has helped him take on a diverse range of roles.{{Cite web |last=Adeaga |first=Favour |date=2020-07-09 |title=Richard Lukunku bio: age, wife, parents, tv shows and movies, nominations, profile - Briefly.co.za |url=https://briefly.co.za/67947-richard-lukunku-bio-age-wife-parents-tv-shows-movies-nominations-profile.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=briefly.co.za |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Vomo |first=Munya |date=1978-09-06 |title=Humble actor kept busy in SA and US |url=https://iol.co.za/entertainment/tv/2013-06-03-humble-actor-kept-busy-in-sa-and-us/ |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=IOL |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Richard Lukunku |url=https://screenlist.co.za/people/1727764938488PkN1seiBigZW |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=Screen List |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Thangevelo |first=Debashine |date=2012-05-11 |title=Double impact rocks box |url=https://iol.co.za/entertainment/tv/2012-05-07-double-impact-rocks-box/ |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=IOL |language=en}}

Lukunku made his on-screen debut in the crime drama Inkaba, followed by a starring role as Detective Phaka in Mshika-shika (2012). He appeared in the telenovela Ashes to Ashes, earning a SAFTA nomination for Best Actor in a TV Soap/Telenovela in 2016.{{Cite web |title=Richard Lukunku on his character evolution & comeback on 'Happiness is a Four Letter Word' sequel |url=https://www.timeslive.co.za/tshisa-live/tshisa-live/2021-10-29-richard-lukunku-on-his-character-evolution--comeback-on-happiness-is-a-four-letter-word-sequel/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20211119162916/https://www.timeslive.co.za/tshisa-live/tshisa-live/2021-10-29-richard-lukunku-on-his-character-evolution--comeback-on-happiness-is-a-four-letter-word-sequel/ |archive-date=2021-11-19 |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=www.timeslive.co.za |language=en}}

In 2014, he joined the main cast of the Starz series Black Sails as Joshua, a role he held for two seasons. He went on to portray Patrice Lumumba in the Michael Bay-produced film The Siege of Jadotville (2016) and featured in the romantic comedy Happiness Is a Four-Letter Word (2016) and its 2020 sequel. His film credits also include The Lucky Specials (2017).{{Cite web |title=Richard Lukunku {{!}} Actor, Casting Department |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3827844/?utm_source=chatgpt.com |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=IMDb |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Writer |first=Staff |date=2022-10-03 |title=Richard Lukunku on playing the regal Senator in fantasy epic Blood Psalms |url=https://stories.showmax.com/za/richard-lukunku-on-playing-the-regal-senator-in-fantasy-epic-blood-psalms?utm_source=chatgpt.com |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=Showmax Stories |language=en}}

Back in South Africa, Lukunku landed a leading part on the long-running SABC3 drama Isidingo (2023–present). In 2022 he starred as Senator Jabari in Showmax’s fantasy epic Blood Psalms, which earned multiple award nominations on the continent.{{Cite web |title=Richard Lukunku |url=https://afternoonexpress.co.za/guests/richard-lukunku/4734?utm_source=chatgpt.com |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=afternoonexpress.co.za}} He appeared in the television shows "The Looming Tower" and "The Girl from St. Agnes", "Blood Plasms" and "Professionals".{{Cite web |last=Birjalal |first=Alyssia |date=2023-01-20 |title=Richard Lukunku on 'Blood Psalms': 'These guys are on another level' |url=https://iol.co.za/entertainment/streaming/2022-09-28-richard-lukunku-on-blood-psalms-these-guys-are-on-another-level/ |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=IOL |language=en}}

Lukunku is married to actress and director Nozipho Nkelemba; the couple have two children. In 2023, the two were reported to have been separated.{{Citation |title=Osa Johnson |date=2020-07-01 |work=London in His Own Time |pages=220–224 |url=https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1chs9xk.61 |access-date=2025-05-22 |publisher=University of Iowa Press|doi=10.2307/j.ctv1chs9xk.61 }} His multilingual fluency (six languages) is frequently highlighted in interviews as key to his versatility.

• Inkaba
• Mshika-shika
• Ashes to Ashes
• The Mirage of Life
• The Quest
• Rhythm City
• Isidingo
• The road
• Trueuground
• The Girl from St. Agnes
• Strike Back
• Flight of the Stocks
• Black Sails

• Happiness is a Four-Letter Word
• Blink
• Night Drive
• History of America
• Superhelde
• Invisible Children
• Skyf the Movie
• Mister BOB
• Thina Sobabili
• The Siege of Jadotville
• Black Sails
• Zama Zama

• Richard Lekunku was nominated for a Golden Horn Award in 2013{{Cite web |last=Nondzaba |first=Kelebogile |date=2016-12-06 |title=Video: SAFTAs nominee dinner 2016 |url=https://iol.co.za/entertainment/tv/2016-02-26-video-saftas-nominee-dinner-2016/ |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=IOL |language=en}}
• Nominated for Best supporting Actor in 2016{{Cite web |last=Mighticiti |title=Richard Lukunku – Biography, Music & Latest Updates |url=https://mighticiti.com/artist/richard%20lukunku/11650 |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=mighticiti.com |language=en}}
• African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) in 2018.{{Cite web |title=Richard Lukunku - Awards |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3827844/awards/ |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=IMDb |language=en-US}}

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Category:1986 births

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century South African actors